The security monster strikes again
January 27, 2009
Another day, another major loss of data for thousands, if not millions of people. One of the UK’s biggest recruitment and job search websites, Monster, has had a major breach of security after hackers have carried out what has been described as
“the biggest data theft in the UK since the details of 25 million child benefit claimants went missing last year” (BBC news).
4.5 million people in the UK use the site to directly find jobs or speculatively browse the market. Many users post their CV to the site just to keep their hand in the job market and are offered interviews and positions from recruiters and companies that search the CV database for candidates matching their needs.
The main danger from this breach is from potential ‘phishing attacks’ – this is where a user is sent an email ‘phishing’ for information, e.g. to confirm their username and password (the type of thing we are often warned about in relation to our bank accounts). Another possibility is emails that fool readers into installing malware (software that is designed to damage a computer) by clicking on links in emails.
The hackers have stolen phone number and emails, as well as usernames and passwords. Many people use the same passwords for more than one of their online accounts, so if you have a monster account it is a good idea to check what other sites you have used the same password for and change them.
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